20 Memorable Epitaphs

Frank Sinatra: "The best is yet to come."

The Chairman of the Board's optimistic epitaph comes from his 1964 hit of the same name. Though he lived life his way, a heart attack ultimately did the celebrated crooner in on May 14, 1998 at age 82. The 700 guests in attendance at his funeral, which included actors, musicians, and political figures such as Tony Bennett, Ed McMahon, Gregory Peck, Don Rickles, and Nancy Reagan, confirmed Sinatra's status as music royalty. Actor Kirk Douglas predicted that with Sinatra's arrival, "Heaven will never be the same" [source: Cheakalos]. Though he was born in Hoboken, New Jersey, Sinatra was buried (along with a pack of Camel cigarettes, a Zippo lighter and a bottle of Jack Daniels) in the city he'd come to call home -- Palm Springs, Calif. -- which had named a street in his honor.